I've been trying our some different wood burning stoves and would appreciate you thoughts. You guys are way ahead of me here.

My goals are simplicity and low cost, but more so good burning and appropriate for hiking. I was thinking I could get the 14-15 oz and 20 oz can to work but then started to think more about the system and pack-ability. I thought if you have a pot widths often over 4" in diameter why use a smaller stove, thinking you get more room for fuel and can probably more easily store other things in the stove within the pot if it were bigger. Rolled the top cut edge over 1/8". So I made the latest out of a coffee can 4" diameter and cut it down to 3.25 " so it would fit in a K-mart grease pot and several other that are taller and narrower. A plastic cup/bowl fits in that with lots of other room. Weighs 2 oz.

Sounds ok to me but I have the feeling I am missing out on better burning/fire out put with a taller narrower design. I love your fire mug designs and others. They look to burn very well. On the other hand I saw the Little bug jr stove and other that seem ok too.

I burned mine once and got water to boil from 8.75 min after lighting. (I put pot on after 1.5 min.) That was not too bad and it kept burning for a total of 21plus minutes. But here's my grip...it did not seem to jet into the top holes much at all and I felt like I needed to blow on it a few times to keep the intensity up. The wood was dry. I'm showing my wood load also if that helps.

So experts, how do design this better or use it to keep it light and pack-able but also burn well. Here are some pics if it helps. The pot stands are wire picture hangers you push into the drywall. (may go back to a nail) Up a little less than 2 inches.

Attachments

Loaded with room for tinder

Boil achieved and pot off

Detail of pot support attachment

Packed in grease pot

Last edited by jbutzi on Wed Feb 08, 2012 4:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

My guess is that you need more air coming in from the bottom. Maybe you could raise it up using some of your wire pot stands at the bottom and add some small air holes in the bottom of the can. It should pack just as small and the only additional weight is a couple more drywall hangers. If that doesn't do it then I think you are stuck with using a longer can (aka chimney).

There is one other thing to try and that is restrict the opening at the top (easier than above idea). I had a similar problem with a wood heater once. It called for an 8" chimney but I had such a tall chimney that it got too cold so I changed it to a 6"dia and corrected it.

"People are not persuaded by what we say, but rather by what they understand."

Sudden...thanks for comments. I have three holes in the bottom that are about 1/2 by 1 inches. This is for my three legs (cutouts) that lift the stove up off the ground. I can put in more if needed. I did that on a couple others. To restrict top I could install a 1 inch ring from another can I suppose. Is that what you had in mind?

Maybe I just have to use the full coffee can and go with a tall narrow type pot. Hmmm, trying to save weight and space.

Put a mesh grate in the bottom of the stove to keep the twigs off the floor Use more holes at the base. Put 3/8 holes between the 1/2" ones.

Increase the top hole diameter to 1/2" to get more air entering there to focus the flames towards the center.

Use smaller pieces of twig tinder to cover the entire top of the twigs. Your goal is to get the entire top hot, not just the center. Cheat a little on your initial testing, use a little charcoal starter over the entire top as your "starter"

You are doing just fine. You are getting the boil with one load....whooorhaa!!!!!

jbutzi I am new to this site, but have been messing with wood fired cooking stoves for a little while, i.e. several months.

I have some questions if you don't mind, and some ideas. Questions first I guess;1) This is not a "gas-a-fire" stove, correct? But more of a fire in a can stove? 2) I am not sure what is better, or if a combination of the two is best, I guess I am asking what are you trying to build and what would it's use be? 3) How are the wires holding up?

Suggestions;The more heat the can retains the better your fire will burn.The bottom of your stove would feed the fire better if you had more holes or a screen in-staid of the flat bottom.If you could double up the can, like put a can about 1/2" smaller inside the larger can I think you would get better performance.